Honest, in-depth album reviews by KLOF Mag – championing and curating intelligent, uncompromising voices in contemporary and experimental music since 2004.
Albums
Don’t let the title worry you. Karine and the lads of Lau aren’t engaging in a bit of WWF Smackdown aggro. The latest in the impressive history of collaboration between the various members of Lau and Karine Polwart is an enthralling five-track EP, the first in a series of three such releases planned by Lau. Four of the five tracks on this releases are cover versions, more details on those …
by Billy Rough
Isle of Wight songwriter Paul Armfield’s new album, Blood, Fish and Bone is a sensitive, melancholic and downright beautiful album. The talented musician and artist (he designed the linocut cover for the album) has assembled a masterful collaboration of musicians (including Rupert Brown, J.C. Grimshaw and Adam Kirk) to create a timeless and haunting piece of work, as the songwriter himself explains; Much of the material on the album concerns …
by KLOF
Salsa Celtica’s fusion of Scottish and Irish traditional music with all the Latin American elements of salsa has taken them and their music all over the world. In the last ten years the group has been a hit equally at major celtic, jazz, world music and salsa festivals. Their albums have topped the New York and L.A. salsa charts and European world music charts, the band has been nominated for …
by KLOF
Two-time Grammy-nominated Kim Richey opens her latest album with the title track “Wreck you Wheels” and the line “you can count the words…”. This is an album where the words do count. The album is woven through with emotional honesty and a multitude of co-written tracks with the likes of Will Kimbrough, the Jayhawks Mark Olson and the very talented Boo Hewerdine. These are treasured ingredients from a world of …
by KLOF
In honor of Memorial Day 2010, Cat Martino releases her alluring song about Jennie Hodgers, turned Civil War Veteran, Albert Cashier. “Last May (2009), I woke up to read a story on NPR about Jennie Hodgers, a woman who changed her identity to Albert Cashier to fight in the Civil War,” says Martino. “Her story was so compelling, I went straight with my morning coffee to my guitar to write …
by KLOF
Widely-acclaimed British three-piece the Martin Harley Band return with a brand new album entitled “Drumrolls For Somersaults,” on Villainous Records. True to the band’s idiosyncratic “British Americana” sound, the record is a beautiful blend of melodic songs combining such styles as swinging jazz and more laid- back country-folk alongside striking three-part harmonies. The album title is inspired by Martin’s life experiences of, to use his own words, “getting twisted in …
Rebekah Findlay’s independantly released debut album, Northern Skies, is a mix of self-penned and traditional songs that showcase a multi-talented artist. The opening track, Far From Home, suggests we’re in for a mellow journey with a gentle but confident guitar providing lovely rich tones, alongside light, airy vocals. It’s soon clear, though, that Rebekah is not shy about adding some power to her voice and you begin to get a …
by KLOF
Back in 2008 we saw Anglo-American duo Cath and Phil Tyler release their debut album ‘Dumb Supper’ to great critical acclaim across all divides of the modern folk landscape – as Plan B rightly noted, “Dumb Supper is one of those rare modern folk albums that will find a home both in the longstanding ‘traditional’ music community and among those attracted to the form’s more experimental and lo-fi possibilities”. And …
Joseph Topping, from Wirral, is a multi-instrumentalist / singer / songwriter and by all accounts likes to keep himself busy. As well as gaining a reputation for his own work, he’s also known to use his considerable talent as part of The John Wright Band, Ashley Hutchings, The Rainbow Chasers and Elbow Jane. Ghosts In The Shadows is his third solo album and first for Fellside Recordings. In this mixed …
by KLOF
One of the greatest things about running Folk Radio UK is the amount of time I get to spend searching out both new and old music. If I was given half the chance, I would happily spend most of the day doing it, OK, and night! I came across this one during another late night hunt. This time I was tracking down old albums through Smithsonian Folkways. The title of …
Bristol based Rachael Dadd’s feet pretty much only touch ground when she hits the stage. For the past two or so years she has been touring almost constantly; playing shows in England and further afield Japan, whilst in-between times; stitching craft things and painting personalised record sleeves for sale at gigs. After the Ant Fight (2009) is a collection of piano ballads and more heavily instrumented tracks with rootsy folk …
Lizzie Nunnery, from Maghull in Merseyside, has two EP releases under her belt and a string of successful live appearances. Her debut album Company Of Ghosts, released on Fellside Records, provides even more evidence of her performing and song writing prowess. I’m always glad to hear a regional accent in a singing voice and Lizzie’s is an asset from the first line, as is her distinctive vocal style. In the …